Piercing punch device



April 1968 v w. c. KIRCHBERGER ET AL 3,380,160

PIERCING PUNCH DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1965 United States Patent 3,380,160PIERCING PUNCH DEVICE Walter Carl Kirchberger, Menomonee Falls, andDennis Edwin Nelson, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to Globe- Union Inc.,Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No.502,919 2 Claims. (Cl. 30-362) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device forpunching holes in the partition walls of a battery case is disclosed.The device is intended for The present invention relates generally to apiercing punch device and, more specifically, relates to a portable,hand-operated piercing punch device which finds particular advantageousutilization in the random piercing of holes in the partitions of batterycasings to facilitate intercell welding.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved piercing punch device. More specifically, it is an object toprovide a new and improved portable, hand-operated piercing punchdevice. In this connection, it is an object to provide such a piercingpunch device for use in piercing of holes in the partitions of batterycasings in any one of several directions, locations or positions tofacilitate intercell welding.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedportable, hand-operated piercing punch device which may be readilymodified for the formation of different size holes.

A further object is to provide a piercing punch device which allows forthe formation of holes in any location, direction or position.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved portable, hand-operated piercing punch device characterized inits simplicity, economy, ease of handling, and ease of operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the attached detailed description taken in conjunction with thedrawing.

In one form of the present invention a portable, handoperated piercingpunch device is provided which includes a die plate having a die mountedthereon, a handle secured to the die plate, and a punch plate having apunch mounted thereon which is aligned with the die. The punch plate ismounted in spaced relationship with respect to the die plate formovement toward and away from the die plate to respective punching andspaced positions. Additionally, means are provided which are operable tomove the punch plate between spaced rela tionship and punchingrelationship with the die plate. A stop member may be mounted on the dieplate for limiting the movement of the punch plate toward the die plateand thus for establishing the position of punching relationship betweenthe die plate and the punch plate. A stripper member may also bedisposed between the die plate and the punch plate for freeing a piercedarticle from the punch when the punch plate is moved from punchingrelationship to spaced relationship with the die plate. Finally, thepunch plate may be adapted to accommodate various size punches, whereasthe die plate may be adapted to accommodate corresponding size dies.

For the purpose of providing a detailed description of a portablepiercing punch device constructed in accordance with the teachings ofthe present invention, reference will now be made to the drawing,wherein:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of a portable, handoperated piercingpunch device constructed in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View taken substantially along line 22 in FIG. 1;and

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the piercing punch device shown in FIGS.1 and 2 positioned relative to a battery casing or the like.

While the invention has been shown and will be described in some detailwith reference to a particular exemplary embodiment thereof, there is nointention that it be limited to such detail. Quite to the contrary, itis intended here to embrace all modifications, alternatives andequivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawing, a portable, hand-operated piercing punchdevice 10 is shown which is constructed in accordance with the teachingsof the present invention. While not so limited in its uses, the portablepiercing punch device 10 finds particular advantageous utilization inconnection with the piercing of holes in any desired direction, locationor position in the partitions of a battery casing 12 (FIG. 3) or thelike to facilitate inter-cell welding within the battery formedtherewith. The piercing punch device 10 includes a die plate 14 having ahandle 16 suitably secured thereto which is adapted to be manuallygrasped as shown in FIG. 3 for manual handling of the piercing punchdevice. In the exemplary arrangement, the handle 16 has a threadedportion 16a which is threaded into a threaded aperture 14a in the dieplate 14.

For the purpose of cooperating with the die plate 14 to form thepunching portion of the piercing punch device 10, a punch plate 18 ismounted in spaced relationship with the die plate for movement towardand away from the die plate to respective punching and spaced positions.In the exemplary arrangement, three dowel pins 20 are provided forguiding the movement of the punch plate 18 toward and away from the dieplate 14. The dowel pins 26 are suitably secured to the die plate 14,such as by set screws, and extend through apertures in the punch plate18 defined by bushings 22 which allow the dowel pins to slide freelythrough the punch plate as the punch plate moves toward and away fromthe die plate.

In keeping with the present invention, suitable means are provided formoving the punch plate 18 toward and away from the die plate 14 to therespective punching and spaced positions. In the exemplary arrangement,a double-acting, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 24 is provided for thispurpose. As may be seen, one end of the cylinder abuts the die plate 14and the driving shaft thereof 24a has a threaded portion which isthreaded into a threaded aperture 18a in the punch plate 18 so that thepunch plate moves with the drivin shaft 24a relative to the die plate.Fluid, either oil or air as the case may be, is supplied to the cylinder24 via hydraulic or pneumatic supply lines 26a and 26b which aresuitably connected to opposite ends of the cylinder. Control means (notshown),

associated with the cylinder and manually operable, controls theoperation thereof. For the purpose of this description, it will beassumed that, when the control means is in the non-operated position,the cylinder is in the position shown so that the punch plate 18 is inspaced relationship with the die plate 14. On the other hand, when thecontrol means is manually operated, the cylinder 24 functions to drivethe punch plate 18 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, into punchingrelationship with the die plate 14 so that a punching operation may beperformed by the piercing punch device 10. Thereafter, when the controlmeans is again released, the cylinder functions to drive the punch plate18 to the right, as viewed in FIG. 2, back to the spaced positions withrespect to the die plate 14.

For the purpose of performing a punching operation responsive tomovement of the punch plate 18 into punching relationship with the dieplate 14, a selected shear punch 30 is mounted on the punch plate whichis aligned with and cooperates in a conventional manner with a selecteddie 32 mounted on the die plate. The punch 30 has a threaded portion 30awhich is threaded into a threaded aperture 18b in the punch plate 18 sothat the punch is secured thereto and preferably has a tool steelcutting tip. On the other hand, the die 32 is received Within anaperture 14b in the die plate 14 and is suitably secured thereto, suchas by a set screw. The die 32 has an aperture 32a formed therein whichis aligned with and is adapted to receive the punch 30 during a punchingoperation. Thus it will be apparent that various size shear punches anddies may be readily interchanged in the piercing punch 10.

For the purpose of limiting the movement of the punch plate 18 towardthe die plate 14 and thus for the purpose of establishing the punchingposition therebetween, a stop member 34 may be suitably secured to thedie plate 14 between the die plate and the punch plate 18. Additionally,for the purpose of freeing a pierced article from the punch 30 when thepunch plate 18 is being moved away from the die plate 14 into spacedrelationship therewith subsequent to a punching operation, a strippermember 36 may be disposed between the punch plate and the die plate. Thestripper member functions to hold the article in place as the punch 30is being extracted from the hole formed therein. In the exemplaryarrangement, the stripper member 36 is suitably mounted on and securedto the stop member 34 so that the stop member 34 and the stripper member36 cooperate to limit the movement of the punch plate toward the dieplate and thus to define the punching position of the punch plate. Asmay be seen, an aperture 36a, which is aligned with the punch 30 and thedie 32, is formed in the stripper member 36 to accommodate the punch 30during a punching operation.

In order to provide a better understanding of the present invention, abrief description of the operation of the portable hand-operatedpiercing punch device 10, constructed in accordance with the teachingsof the present invention, will now be set forth. Initially, the handle16 of the piercing punch device is manually grasped, as shown in FIG. 3,and the piercing punch device is moved into desired punchingrelationship with a partition of a battery casing 12 (FIG. 3) or thelike so that the wall to be pierced is positioned between the die plate14 and the stripper member 36. The control means is then operated sothat the cylinder 24 functions to drive the punch plate 18 toward thedie plate 14 until it engages the stripper member 36. Accordingly, thepunch 30 is driven through the aperture 36a in the stripper member, intoengagement with and through the partition, and into the aligned bore 32aof the die 32 so that a hole correspond ing in diameter to the punch ispierced in the partition. The punched-out portion of the partition isforced outwardly by the punch 30 through the aperture 32a in the dieduring the punching operation. Thereafter, the control means is releasedand the cylinder 24 functions to drive the punch plate 18 away from thedie plate 14 to the spaced position shown in FIG. 2. Consequently, thepunch 30 is drawn out of the aperture 32a in the die 32, out of theaperture formed thereby in the partition and out of the aperture 36a inthe stripper member 36, the

stripper member 36 functioning to free the partition from the punch 30.When the piercing punch device 10 has assumed the position shown in FIG.2, the piercing punch may be moved to another position on the partition,or may be moved out of punching relationship with the partition punchedthereby and may be moved into punching relationship with anotherpartition or casing wall or with another position on the already punchedcasing wall.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that a new and improvedpiercing punch device has been provided. More specifically, it will beseen that a new and improved portable hand-operated piercing punchdevice has been provided which finds particular advantageous utilizationin connection with the piercing of holes in the partitions of a batterycasing or the like in any desired direction, location or position tofacilitate intercell welding. Moreover, it will be readily apparent thatthe piercing punch device constructed in accordance with the teachingsof the present invention may be readily modified by the interchanging ofpunches and dies for the formation of different size holes. Finally, itwill be apparent that the piercing punch device constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention allows for theformation of holes in partitions of a battery casing or the like in anyselected location, direction or position.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable punch device for use in forming a hole in a partition wallof a battery case comprising first and second substantially planarlongitudinal members mounted approximately parallel to one another andadapted for relative transverse motion toward and away from one another,a die carried by one of said longitudinal members and a punch carried bythe other of said longitudinal members, handle means attached to one ofthe said longitudinal members, drive means secured to one of saidlongitudinal members and located between said handle means and said dieand punch for moving said members relative to one another, said drivemeans being spaced from said punch and die a distance suflicient toallow said longitndinal members to extend into the battery case toposition said die and punch on opposite sides of said partition wall atthe desired position of said hole, said longitudinal members having agreater surface area at the location where the drive means is positionedthan the surface area at the location where the die and punch arecarried by said longitudinal members, and guide means attached to one ofthe said longitudinal members between said handle means and the die andpunch, said guide means slidably disposed through openings in the otherof said longitudinal members.

2. The punch device of claim 1 further including a stripper platemounted between said die and punch and attached to the longitudinalmember with which said die is associated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 641,175 1/1900 Wigtel 303611,746,043 2/1930 Maguire 83637 X 2,015,645 9/1935 Chase et al. 269--252,374,400 3/ 1945 Westervelt 30-258 FOREIGN PATENTS 557,626 6/ 1957Belgium.

640,303 3/ 1928 France.

851,760 10/1939 France.

JAMES L. JONES, JR., Examiner.

